Carbonite vs. Dropbox
I was a Carbonite user for about a year from 2008-2009. Right around that time, another DropBox was released. What I like about DropBox in comparison to Carbonite is that you get 2GB of free storage and can attached one account to as many decices as you want. If you want more storage you have the option to purchase a 50GB or 100GB account. Another nice thing about DropBox is because you can have one account attached to multiple computers this means you can backup your data to DropBox from each computer you have attached to your account and then do an automated local backup, on one of those machines, and have all your documents from DropBox. Finally, the nicest feature DropBox offeres is selective syncing. This feature is so great because of the fact that you can set up on of your desktops to sync everything to DropBox and then only have set your laptop up to sync to only one or two of the directories within your DropBox. When all is said and done, if I am going to pay for an online backup solution I would invest in DropBox over Carbonite.
iPad vs. Kindle (with an Apple TV)
Obviously, this is a comparison that has been done a lot in the last year but in light of the iPad 2 which is only days away I am going to provide my comparison. About a month ago, I went out and purchased an Apple TV. Instantly after purchasing my Apple TV, my iPad became a one-use device for me, All I was using it for was reading books, news, and PDFs. Obviously, it did not make much sense for me to be carrying around my MacBook Air and my iPad which combine to weigh only half a pound less than my two-year old MacBook so I started leaving the iPad at home everyday and just reading my news on my laptop. This also meant. Then a little over a week ago my wonderful girlfriend asked me if she could borrow my iPad for a conference she was going to. So I offered her a trade for her Kindle. We traded a few days ago when she was in Chicago on a layover getting to the conference. Ever since I am unable to put my Kindle down and I feel no separation anxiety being without my iPad. So far I have yet to really compare the two devices.
Let me do that right now. Both are excellent devices, neither are meant to be productivity devices though the iPad is much closer to a productivity device than the Kindle is. The real question is what do you consider productivity. If you are looking for a computer to surf the internet, read news, read books, watch some videos (not Flash based web video), keep track of your to do lists, and actually do things that do not require a lot of typing than the iPad is for you. If you dont care about the internet or video aspects and prefer to just use your computer or laptop as the productivity device and just read book than the Kindle is for you.
iPad vs. iPad 2
After getting my iPad back in late July, early August I went about four and a half months without touching my two-year old MacBook except for when I wanted to make a blog post, watch a flash based video, or had to do some programming. The feeling was great. I rarely left my dorm with out my iPad and was able to got to class most days without my laptop. While the iPad was able to take the place of my laptop for 90% or more of my computing needs, the MacBook Air weighing in at only about a pound heavier than the iPad just made more sense as my device to bring to class with me. It met my need for something light-weight that I could use to take notes and check email while in class. The main problem I had with the iPad as a note taking device was that the on-screen keyboard was not really the best for fast paced lectures and who wants to pull out a wireless keyboard to do long form typing. Overall, the iPad, and soon the iPad 2, is a great computing device that will fit the needs of most people.
The main reason I am going to hold off on buying an iPad 2 (excluding the lack of money) is the updates are not that impressive and there is no real reason for me to upgrade yet. I am still in school with hopes to go directly into Graduate School and my MacBook Air is simply a better device for me to take to class with me.
This is not to say that having the iPad 2 is not in my future. There is one nice thing about the iPad and soon the iPad 2 that I can simply not let go. The ability to use it as a secondary monitor for my MacBook, MacBook Air, or even my desktop is a really nice one that makes the investment a good one. The other big reason I am holding off even if I do get the money is because the rumor mill has been screaming very loudly lately about how there will be an iPad 3 announced in September at the annual iPod announcement. While I am not sure I believe these rumors I probably won’t have the money for an iPad 2 until really close to that time and will feel no real need to upgrade after having been without one for 6 months.